Jun 14 Sport futures

Adidas is joining forces with Arizona State University to launch the Global Sport Alliance aimed at shaping the future of sport and ‘amplifying sport’s positive impact on society’. The partnership – which brings together students, faculty, employees, researchers, engineers and a global network of partners – will explore topics including athlete potential, consumer behaviour and insight, product materials and innovations, and new educational opportunities

Adidas and ASU will look to investigate the role of diversity and race in sport in providing a platform for exploration into fan behaviour toward athletes, underrepresentation within coaching ranks and team ownership, bias issues related to officiating, as well as racial background and how it effects sport participation.

The alliance will also seek to examine sustainability in education, traceability in product supply chain, the creation of sustainable materials and new recycling solutions.

One component of the Global Sport Alliance is the Global Sport Institute (GSI), which is designed to connect people to sport by translating and amplifying complex sports research for broad, global audiences. GSI will convene public events, engage leading sports figures and publish research findings through reports, infographics, podcasts and social media.

Fast fact: Adidas recent announced plans to eradicate slavery and improve working conditions in its supply chain. The company has a dedicated manager in place for the issue, a role created to look at building relevant partnerships to address potential modern slavery risks for its extended chain.